Quantification of Cheese Yield Reduction in Manufacturing Parmigiano Reggiano from Milk with Non-Compliant Somatic Cells Count

Abstract

The mammary gland inflammation process is responsible for an increased number of somatic cells in milk, and transfers into the milk of some blood components; this causes alterations in the chemical composition and physico-chemical properties of milk. For this reason, somatic cell count (SCC) is one of the most important parameters of milk quality; therefore, European Union (EU) Regulation no 853/2004 has stated that it must not exceed the limit value of 400,000 cells/mL. The research aimed to compare chemical composition, cheese yield, and cheesemaking losses of two groups of vat milks used for Parmigiano Reggiano production, characterized by different SCC levels. During two years, ten cheesemaking trials were performed in ten different cheese factories. In each trial, two cheesemaking processes were conducted in parallel: one with low SCC milk (below 400,000 cells/mL; Low Cell Count (LCC)) and the other with high SCC milk (400,000–1,000,000 cells/mL; High Cell Count (HCC)). For each trial, vat milk and cooked whey were analyzed; after 24 months of ripening, cheeses were weighed to calculate cheese yield. The HCC group had lower casein content (2.43 vs. 2.57 g/100 g; p ≤ 0.05) and number (77.03% vs. 77.80%; p ≤ 0.05), lower phosphorus (88.37 vs. 92.46 mg/100g; p ≤ 0.05) and titratable acidity (3.16 vs. 3.34 °SH/50 mL; p ≤ 0.05) compared to LCC. However, chloride (111.88 vs. 104.12 mg/100 g; p ≤ 0.05) and pH (6.77 vs. 6.71; p ≤ 0.05) were higher. Fat losses during cheesemaking were higher (20.16 vs. 16.13%). After 24 months of ripening, cheese yield was 8.79% lower for HCC milk than LCC (6.74 vs. 7.39 kg/100 kg; p ≤ 0.05).

Optimization of Crude Papaya (Carica papaya) Protease in Soft-Unripened Cheese Preparation

“…Experimental yield obtained for all cheeses was lower than the findings of Rana et al (2017a) and this variation would be due to difference in milk composition and processing technique. Experimental yield is lower than the theoretical yield which might be due to loss of fat and casein in whey during cheese making resulting in low casein and/or fat retention (Franceschi et al, 2020). The higher actual yield in cheese prepared with plant protease may be attributed to the longer coagulation time (Liburdi et al, 2019) resulting in more moisture contents which increased the yield.…”

The Effect of Humic Mineral Substances from Oxyhumolite on the Coagulation Properties and Mineral Content of the Milk of Holstein-Friesian Cows

“…An elevated somatic cell count in milk has an adverse effect on its chemical composition (including lower content of casein and fat and higher content of whey proteins), which negatively affects its coagulation properties, thus reducing the quantity and quality of cheese produced [31]. Franceschi et al [3] showed that the yield of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese aged for 24 months made from milk with an SSC > 400,000/mL was 9% lower than the cheese yield from milk with an SCC not exceeding 400,000/mL. A high somatic cell count in milk used for cheese production has also been linked to poorer fat retention by the curd.…”

“…Global milk production is continually growing, and a large portion of it is used for cheese production. A key element of the suitability of milk for cheese production is its coagulation properties, which are associated with factors including chemical composition (content of protein, casein, fat, and minerals) [1,2] and somatic cell count [3].…”

Effects of Milk Storage Temperature at the Farm on the Characteristics of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: Chemical Composition and Proteolysis

“…The two most important hygienic parameters of milk are the somatic cells and total bacterial counts, whose increase beyond certain limits also causes worsening of the technological properties [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. The increase of somatic cell count is associated with increase of proteolytic activity [ 9 , 10 ], which is responsible for the early degradation of casein in milk, loss of fat and protein during cheese-making [ 11 ] and consequent worsening of the cheese yield [ 9 , 12 ]. High values of bacterial count are associated with increased risk of the presence of bacterial species unsuitable for cheese-making, which cause defects in the cheese [ 13 , 14 ], with consequent depreciation of the product [ 2 , 5 ], and threaten its safety for human consumption.…”